Nobara the Wolf-Dragon
by Elviah
Summary: Nobara is no ordinary demon. She carries the blood of the ancient wolf-dragons, giving her the power to shapeshift between a human, wolf, and dragon, as well as control fire. Her fierce tenacity and undying loyalty make her a lethal foe, but even wolf-dragons are susceptible to the forces of nature.
1. Backstory

Nobara is the daughter of the wolf-dragons Chikara and Takeo. She was born at the base of Mount Fuji, hence her remarkable powers; she can shapeshift between a human, wolf, or dragon and has the ability to control fire.

Unfortunately, due to their rarity, her parents were frequently hunted by those seeking to harness their power. Some attempted to kill the wolf-dragons whereas others wanted to enslave them. One such group was from Yōkai Taijiya village, the home of the demon slayers. Believing the wolf-dragons to be evil, the demon slayers hunted them persistently. Chikara and Takeo found solace in their daughter, despite having to move around constantly. They were able to hideout near the Sacred Tree for a few years, since the nearby village was relatively well-guarded, and demons seldom approached it.

When Nobara was four years old, Chikara and Takeo longed to return to Mount Fuji. On the journey there, they were discovered by the demon slayers. A long, brutal hunt ensued as the wolf-dragons struggled to keep their daughter out of sight from the slayers. They drastically changed course, heading towards the mountains. Chikara and Takeo outran them for a short period of time, but were outflanked in the end. While in dragon form, their wings were damaged by a trap set by the slayers, and they were no longer able to fly, which meant they had to remain in winged wolf form since they were unable to shift into human form. During the hunt, Nobara automatically shifted forms to match her parents since she didn't have full control over her powers yet.

Trapped as wolves, Chikara and Takeo ran as fast as they could, carrying Nobara by the scruff of her neck. Due to the extra weight in her mouth, Chikara tripped on the path and broke her front left leg. She couldn't even stand, and with the slayers closing in, Takeo had no choice but to flee with their daughter. Chikara was able to take down two slayers with her, but she was soon killed. Takeo was able to avoid the other trap the slayers had laid, but his exhaustion eventually caught up with him. With the death of his mate, his resolve to fight grew exponentially. Once he reached the mountains, Takeo stopped and hid Nobara in a nearby cave, commanding her to stay put no matter what. When the demon slayers caught up to him, all hell broke loose. Unleashing an unexpected attack, Takeo tore the group apart. It was only by feigning death that one of the slayers managed to fatally injure the wolf-dragon by stabbing Takeo in the chest with a sword. Only two slayers managed to survive, whom Nobara would later learn to be Sango and her father, Dalso.

Nobara waited until she couldn't smell the slayers anymore before dashing out of the cave to her father's side. He lay there, gasping for air on the brink of death. With a shrill wail, Nobara began howling for help. By a stroke of luck, the current leader of the wolf demon tribe, Raiden, heard her cry. Gathering a few of his wolves and clanmates, he went to investigate. It didn't take long to find the traumatized pup sobbing over her father's slain body. Raiden approached the wolf pup, and the instant he touched her shoulder, she shifted into human form. It only took him a moment to realize Nobara was no ordinary wolf demon, and brought her to live among the wolf demon tribe where she could blend in and hide from the slayers.

As Raiden returned to the cave, he was greeted by his son, Koga. After hearing what his father had discovered, Koga remained by the young girl to help Nobara recover. It took time, but Nobara was eventually able to explain what had happened to her parents; what she couldn't explain was why. As time passed, Nobara grew into a skilled warrior. Without proper guidance, she never tapped into her fire-controlling powers. She was able to shapeshift between a human and wolf easily, but never knew that she also had the ability to transform into a dragon. Despite this, her prowess and intelligence made her one of the clan's top warriors. As the leader's son and her best friend, Koga was highly impressed with Nobara, and the two spent a lot of time together.

Ten years later, when Nobara was fourteen, she caught wind of a demon slayer's scent near their territory. It immediately brought back her childhood nightmare, and in an outrage, Nobara ran off to track the slayer down. Unknown to her, it was a trap. The scent trail led Nobara far from the mountains all the way to the Sacred Tree. Confused and angry by the useless chase, Nobara struck out at the tree, but when she touched it, the bark erupted in a bright light. When it had faded, Nobara lay on the ground, unconscious. When she awoke, she had no memory of the last ten years. All traces of Raiden, Koga, and the wolf demon tribe were forgotten. All she could remember was her name, the death of her parents, and the fact that she was now in the middle of a forest all alone. Upon walking around to the other side of the tree, Nobara saw a hanyou trapped against it with an arrow in his chest. Since she didn't know who he was or how he had gotten there, she immediately fled and instead found the nearby cave where she had been raised. Nobara stayed there for four years, since it was the only place she recognized.

One night, while she was hunting in wolf form, Nobara saw a strangely dressed girl being chased by a centipede demon. Curious, she followed from the shadows, watching as the girl ran towards the Sacred Tree. She remained hidden while the centipede attacked the girl, reviving the Shikon Jewel's presence in the world. Nobara watched with slight fascination as the girl awoke and freed the hanyou that had been pinned to the tree, learning that her name was Kagome and the hanyou was called Inuyasha. Once the centipede demon had been killed, Nobara made her move, leaping from the trees in human form and snatching the Shikon Jewel from the ground. The moment she touched it, however, Nobara's hand burst into flame. With a yelp of surprise, she dropped it, and the surge of power through her body caused her to shift into dragon form. When Inuyasha tried to attack her to steal the Jewel back, his claws didn't even make a mark on her scales. Kaede and Kagome interceded at this point, placing the prayer beads around Inuyasha's neck and subduing him. When Kagome went to retrieve the Jewel, Nobara didn't even try to stop her as she was in too much of a panic at the sudden rush of power in her system. Kagome was able to calm Nobara down enough that she was able to turn back into human form, and they returned to Kaede's village to seek answers. Kaede revealed to Nobara her true species was a wolf-dragon, not simply a wolf demon.

Unnerved by her newfound power, Nobara wanted to prevent other demons from possessing the Jewel, and therefore chose to travel with Kagome and Inuyasha when it was broken and scattered across the country. Until the day she was reunited with a childhood friend…


	2. Part 1

Nobara stood and huffed in annoyance. Yet another one of Inuyasha's brotherly squabbles with Seshomaru had left her on edge with pent-up energy. Naturally, the half-demon had told them all to stay out of it.

"Cause it's a _family matter_ ," she muttered sarcastically, her red bracers catching the sunlight as she folded her arms across her chest.

The words hadn't slipped past Kagome's ears, and the modernly dressed girl turned her shoulders to look at the female wolf-dragon demon.

Her auburn hair was pulled up in a mid-height ponytail, her bangs hanging freely over her forehead. The fitted armor on her upper body was sleek black, though changed to a red stripe across her breasts that went all the way around her back. The gray shoulder pieces were held to her arms with a thin leather strap to prevent them from bouncing around in a fight. Her hands were partially covered with black fingerless gloves. On her legs she wore black leather rimmed with fur that matched the pelt hanging from her waist. Unlike most wolf demons, she also had a fully functioning tail that was the same color as the pelt.

At a glance, Nobara appeared to be an average wolf demon, but Kagome knew otherwise. Nobara had the power to shapeshift between three different forms as well as control fire at will. Combined with her combatant skills, she was a lethal warrior.

"What did you say?!" an irritated voice barked.

Nobara turned and glared at the dog half-demon Inuyasha. " _Nothing_ ," she spat, the lash of her tail meaning anything but.

Inuyasha growled, sparking a visible heat wave between the two of them.

"I don't understand how the rest of you can just sit on the sidelines like this," Nobara stated, directing the insult at the rest of the group as she started to stalk off. "I can't just stand here."

Shippo, the young fox demon, hopped up on Kirara's head and asked, "Where are you going, Nobara?"

The female smirked, her ponytail swishing to the side as she glanced behind her.

"Hunting."

* * *

There was one thing Nobara loved more than flying: running. It made her feel so alive. The wind whipped through her hair and tail, the trees rushed past in a blur. Her heart beat against her chest with every few strides she took. It was a perfect rhythm flowing with the sound of nature itself. The adrenaline heightened her senses beyond normal wolf acuteness.

 _I am Nobara. I am wild. I am wolf-dragon._

Over and over the mantra played through her head as she scouted the forest. It wasn't the kill she got off on; it was the hunt. Lowering herself to the ground on one knee, Nobara sniffed twice and caught the scent of a doe.

 _Perfect._

Her lips curled back in a snarl. Instinct took over as she followed the trail. A few miles away, she found her prey – a plump doe ripe for the taking. She licked her lips hungrily, already tasting the warm blood on her tongue.

The doe went down easily, but only moments into her meal, a scent came on the wind that made Nobara's stomach quench. It was the smell of human blood, and a lot of it.

 _A massacre...possibly something caused by Naraku._

Leaving the carcass for the crows, Nobara sped towards the scent, growing more nauseated the closer she came. When she was almost there, a series of howls broke through the air.

 _Wh-what?_

She froze in her tracks. That was not the howl of a hunt.

 _Those wolves...they're calling for help!_

Nobara bounded forward. The overwhelming need to protect her kin was almost blinding. She caught the recognizable scents of the gang and…wolf blood, and nearly tripped over herself.

 _They…they killed wolves?!_

An angry snarl ripped through her throat. Blood relation or not, wolves were her kin, and she was bound by honor to protect them. Another scent blew into her nose, and this time Nobara skid to a stop on the outskirts of the village. It was another wolf demon, a male, but there was something strangely familiar about it. She leapt her way around the rubble, only to find a battle at the center of it all. Inuyasha swung the Tetsuiga at the wolf demon stranger, but the male easily dodged and slashed out, barely missing Inuyasha as his fist smashed into the ground.

"Nobara!" Kagome called out, breaking the female's attention away from the fight.

The nearby wolves that had surrounded the gang started to back away, clearly intimidated by her. All but one. A nearby dark brown she-wolf paused in her step and looked up at Nobara, her head tilting to the side with curiosity. The wolf-dragon's gaze lingered on the wolf as she approached Kagome.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nobara demanded angrily, her hands balling into fists. "Who killed these wolves?"

The surrounding pack quickly dispersed at the sound of her angry voice, a few of them tucking their tails between their legs as they scampered off. The dark she-wolf hesitated a moment, then followed her packmates towards the forest.

"Nobara, those wolves slaughtered this village and then attacked us," Miroku explained. "We had no choice but to defend ourselves."

There was truth to his words, but Nobara still snarled under her breath. Wolf blood had been shed, yet her loyalties were supposed to be to the killers of her kin.

 _Dammit._

"Who is that?" she barked, nodding her head towards the fight.

The male wolf demon had light blue eyes, black hair tied up in a ponytail much like Nobara's, and wore a fur band around his head. His armor was silver and black, though he had fur on his shoulders instead of armor. Nobara was surprised to see that he, like herself, had a tail protruding from the pelt around his waist. There was a sword at his hips as well, but he wasn't using it. Inuyasha was holding out so far, but the demon clearly had the upper hand.

"He said his name is Koga, the new leader of the wolf demon tribe," Kagome said. "And he has three Sacred Jewel Shards, one in his right arm and one in each leg."

Nobara flinched.

"Koga?" she murmured questioningly.

 _I…know that name. But how? I don't recognize him._

"You know him, Nobara?" Sango asked.

"I-I-I don't know," she admitted. "I _think_ so."

In battle, Inuyasha blocked an attack and deflected the wolf demon into pummeling an empty building. When the smoke cleared, Koga had a smug expression on his face.

"What a joke," he snorted. "You can barely keep up on the defensive, let alone attack."

Nobara gasped, her eyes widening.

 _That voice. I…know that voice. But how?_

Kagome glanced at her, a hint of worry in her voice as she said, "Nobara? Are you alright?"

Out in the dirt, Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga over his head, a battle cry leaving his lips. Koga rushed forward with a fierce shout, unaware of the coming attack.

"Inuyasha, stop!"

Suddenly, a force hit the ground right in the middle of the two canine demons and the shockwave knocked them both backwards. After a few moments, the dust cleared to reveal Nobara standing in the crevice she had created.

"Nobara, what the hell was that for? I was just about to finish off that mangy wolf!" Inuyasha shouted in complaint as he sat up.

"Shut up, Inuyasha!" she snapped furiously. "You've killed enough of my kin already."

Nobara turned to the other figure who had already stood up. The irritation on his face was clear as he dusted the dirt from his arm. As he caught sight of her, his eyes widened.

"Impossible…" Koga gasped. "They told me you were dead."

Everyone's heads snapped up to where the wolf demons were staring at each other. The cocky attitude of Koga had all but vanished, and Nobara had never looked so shaken in all her life.

"What?" Nobara whispered with disbelief, putting a hand to her head. "Wh-who said I was dead? How do you know me?"

Koga's eyes narrowed. "You…you don't remember?" he asked gruffly, taking a step towards her. His voice was borderline between panic and dismay.

Nobara shook her head. The disappointment on his face only made her more desperate to recall his face in her mind. Instinct said this wolf demon meant something to her, which meant getting her memories back was of the utmost importance.

"My childhood memories were wiped. I don't have any way to –"

Her voice suddenly cut off, replaced by a sharp inhale of breath as Nobara's amber eyes began to glow. It started with quivering hands, then her tail, and then her whole body began to shake. Golden flames burst around her hands, jumping off and disappearing as soon as they touched the ground.

"Nobara!" Kagome shouted.

A scream left her throat as a blinding light enveloped her body. It grew brighter and brighter, expanding beyond the crevice she stood in. Seconds later, the light vanished with a bang, knocking everyone to the ground. When they were once again able to open their eyes and look around, Nobara lay unconscious on the ground, and Koga and his pack of wolves were nowhere to be found.

"Nobara!" Kagome called out as they rushed to her side.

"She's still alive," Miroku confirmed, briefly laying his hands on her ribcage.

"W-w-what just happened?" Shippo asked nervously.

"Huh, it seems that wolf demon triggered something to uncover her memories," Inuyasha snorted with disgust.

"Whoever he is, Nobara clearly has a past with him," Sango pointed out.

"We will have to be cautious in our approach if we intend to take his jewel shards," Miroku stated.

"Why don't I just rip them out of him?" Inuyasha snapped, the irritation clear on his face.

"Inuyasha, surely you could sense it as well. Nobara was once close with this Koga. If we try to attack him, she may side with him and use her powers against us," Miroku explained, his tone gravely serious.

"She was very upset when she learned we had killed those wolves earlier, even though it was in self-defense," Kagome reminded them.

"You really think Nobara would turn against us?" Shippo asked, his expression frightened.

"It's very possible," Sango answered.


	3. Part 2

Miroku and Inuyasha spent the majority of the evening burying the bodies of the slain villagers. Sango and Kagome moved Nobara into one of the empty dwellings, and building a fire from the woodpile outside. It was nightfall before any conversation resumed.

"Shippo, have you heard of the wolf demon tribe before?" Kagome asked, holding some sticks for the fire in her hands.

"Oh yeah. They live in packs up in the mountains and they think they're pretty tough. They bully other demons off their land and claim it as their own territory," Shippo explained. He hopped off the woodpile, carrying a small bundle to the hearth with Kagome following behind him. "Smaller demons like me were driven out and had to find shelter elsewhere because the wolf demon tribe took possession of the mountains and they guard them ruthlessly."

"Interesting," Kagome commented. "So, have you heard of this Koga before?"

"There are so many branches of the wolf demon tribe, but he called himself the new leader so maybe he caused an upstart and took control of the packs by using the jewel shards," Shippo mused.

The two of them walked into the adjacent room where Sango was preparing dinner over the fire. Nobara lay underneath blankets close by.

"We brought more wood," Shippo announced to Sango.

"Thank you. We have plenty of wood for the time being," Sango said. "By the way, have you seen Kirara anywhere?"

"I saw her walking around outside with Inuyasha a little earlier this evening," Kagome said.

"With him again?" Sango asked. "She's been following him around constantly lately. I wonder why."

Kagome glanced over to Nobara, a worried expression on her face. "Nobara has been unconscious all evening. Are we sure she's ok?" Kagome asked.

"It's hard to tell. I'm not sure what that light was around her earlier," Sango replied.

As if on cue, a quiet groan was heard from the wolf-dragon demon.

"Nobara!" Shippo piped up, hopping over next to her and hovering beside her head.

The wolf-dragon stirred, her amber eyes opening. With a strained moan, she pulled a hand up to her forehead.

"What happened?" she mumbled, attempting to sit up.

"You've been unconscious all afternoon," Kagome explained, kneeling down next to her. "How do you feel?"

"Like someone just dropped a mountain on my head," Nobara groaned, bending over to rest her elbows on her crossed legs. She brushed the bangs from her face, lifting her gaze up without focusing on anything. "But…I remember," she whispered, her voice shaky.

"Remember what?" Kagome asked.

"Everything. My parents, my childhood, my family…all of it," Nobara growled. The normally bright expression on her face darkened, covered by a shadow of grief. "I remember their deaths and…" Her gaze shifted towards Sango. "…and the slayers who killed them."

Kagome and Shippo gasped, staring at Nobara wide-eyed. Sango's head snapped up, her grip on the wooden spoon tightening.

"You were there, Sango," Nobara murmured, the rage in her voice burning through the silence like fire. "You were there the day my parents died, because your father was the one who murdered them."

Kagome and Shippo turned to look at the demon slayer, their expressions solemn. Sango's brow was furrowed in confusion.

"Sango, is that true?" Kagome asked.

"I…I don't know," Sango admitted. "I don't remember ever –"

Sango fell silent, her face paling with dread. No one dared move. Nobara sat, glaring at Sango as she waited for an explanation. Miroku and Inuyasha suddenly appeared in the doorway, halting in their tracks as they noticed the tension in the room.

"What is going on here?" Miroku asked, his concern echoed on Inuyasha's face.

"Nobara claimed Sango's father was the one who killed her parents," Kagome explained, not taking her eyes off the wolf-dragon.

Miroku and Inuyasha looked between Sango and Nobara with surprised expressions.

"Sango, is this true?" Miroku asked.

Sango slowly nodded.

"It was my first day of training to be a slayer, over ten years ago," she began. "The Yōkai Taijiya village had been hunting wolf-dragons for decades. The elders believed these demons to be evil and said they needed to be purged."

A defiant growl slipped from Nobara's throat. "What did the wolf-dragons ever do to your village?"

"Nobara, please, let her explain," Kagome said softly, placing a hand on Nobara's knee.

Nobara huffed, using her tail to push Kagome's hand away. Kagome's expression fell, but she said nothing as Sango continued.

"My father believed it to be a worthy first hunt, and brought me along to track down the demons. At first, we had trouble finding them, but my father received a message that a pair of winged wolves had been sighted on a path to Mount Fuji."

Sango paused, lifting her eyes to meet Nobara's steely gaze. The pain from the memories shone clearly through her amber irises. Swallowing hard, Sango hurried to finish the story.

"We succeeded in finding and slaying the two of them by laying traps…but I never knew that they were your parents," she said with dismay. "During the hunt, we never saw any offspring with them, but looking back, it explains why they kept running instead of trying to fight us."

"My parents did _nothing_ to harm you _or_ your village and you _still_ hunted them like animals," Nobara snarled viciously, baring her teeth at Sango.

Kagome raised a hand to put it on Nobara's shoulder, but she smacked it away. The wolf-dragon rose to her feet, an enraged glare in her eyes. Sango refused to lift her gaze from the floor.

"Kohaku's betrayal is _exactly_ what you deserve," Nobara hissed.

Everyone in the room gasped.

"Nobara!" Kagome exclaimed, standing up to berate her.

But the wolf-dragon swept out the door as soon as the words had left her mouth, pushing past Miroku and Inuyasha's gaping jaws. Once her feet touched dirt, Nobara shifted to wolf form and bounded forward into the woods. The shadows swiftly swallowed her up, blending her into the night as if she was never there.

Paws pounded on the dirt as Nobara ran, the steady beat keeping pace with her short breaths. The insult had rolled off her tongue before she could stop it, but she didn't regret it. Without her childhood memories, she had remained blind to any connection she once had to the demon slayers. Now that everything had come rushing back, her fury was reignited into a burning rage.

 _The demon slayers murdered my parents when I was four years old. I remember hanging by the scruff of my neck from my mother's mouth while she ran. Her and father couldn't fly because their wings had been damaged. Mother tripped and broke her leg, and then father carried me because mother had to be left behind._

A log in the path was crossed easily as Nobara leapt over it, her legs never stopping. On and on she ran.

 _My father died right in front of my eyes. Stabbed in the chest with a blade and left to bleed out. The only reason I survived is because Koga's father heard my cries and rushed to help. He took me in and the wolf demon tribe raised me as if I was one of their own._

As she passed through a small open grove, Nobara slowed to a trot, stopping in the center of the grass. She looked up at the clear night sky. Despite the moon's overpowering size, it still looked cold and alone amongst the stars.

 _Raiden and Koga were my family…why would my memories of them be wiped? Who took them away from me?_

Throwing her head back, Nobara's howl pierced the night sky, shattering the silence around her. Nearby birds scattered from the treetops. Bringing her head back down, Nobara lifted her snout to the air, trying to find a scent in the wind.

 _I_ will _be reunited with him. I must be._


	4. Part 3

It was dawn before Nobara finally paused to rest. She had been running all night. While the thought of using her dragon form had crossed her mind, she did not want to draw unwanted attention to herself. It was easier to remain hidden in wolf form anyway.

Putting her nose to the grass, Nobara sniffed a couple times, her head shifting back and forth. Koga's wolves had definitely been through this part of the forest. The further she traveled, the more she began to recognize her surroundings. Lifting her head, Nobara's breath hitched in her throat as she caught sight of the looming mountains before her.

 _Home._

Unable to contain her joy, Nobara let out an elated yelp. She bounded forward towards the rocky path that curved its way up the mountain. The scent of Koga's wolves was growing stronger with every step she took.

 _They're close by. I can feel it._

Rounding a corner, the amber colored wolf skid to a stop. There, at the end of a ledge, stood the wolf-demon she had been looking for. The three canines she had been tracking stood in front of him, whining uneasily. Nobara's ears perked forward as she overheard the unease in Koga's voice.

"I knew it. That sword of his uses some kind of weird magic. Damn it! My fur is still standing on end thinking about it!"

Taking a couple steps back to hide herself from view, Nobara shifted into human form. As soon as she planned to reveal herself, her feet stopped as she heard Koga's voice shift to a much more devious tone.

"But at least I know what to do next. That girl has the power to see the Sacred Jewel shards. I could put her skills to very good use."

Nobara flinched. It didn't take much for her to figure out what he meant.

 _He's planning to kidnap Kagome._

An annoyed growl slipped past the wolf-dragon's lips. Even with all her powers, that was the one skill Nobara did not possess. Her sound did not go unnoticed, however, as she both heard and felt Koga flinch.

"Who's there?" his rough voice growled.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Nobara stepped out from behind the rock. Upon seeing her, Koga gasped, his eyes widening just like they had in the clearing.

"You again…" he murmured. He seemed surprised at her presence, yet curious at the same time. "What are you doing here? How – how did you find me?" Koga asked hesitantly.

Nobara drew forward towards him, a soft smile on her lips. The wolves at Koga's feet were unafraid of her approach. One even took a step towards her to lick her hand. Nobara chuckled quietly, gently brushing her hand over the wolf's head.

Lifting her gaze back to Koga, tears started to brim in her eyes as she thought back to all the childhood memories they had together; their first hunt, their first patrol, all the sleepless nights she had endured following her parents' deaths and he had been there to comfort her.

"Koga…" she whispered, causing the wolf-demon to freeze in place. "I remember."

Koga's eyes widened, and he choked on his words. "You – what – how?"

"Does it matter?" she asked softly.

With two steps, Koga closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms tightly around Nobara's waist, crushing his lips into hers. It was fierce, yet expressed more longing than she knew his words ever could. Lifting her arms, Nobara buried one hand in the fur on his shoulder and the other in his jet-black ponytail.

"By the stars, I missed you," Koga breathed, not giving Nobara even a second to respond as he brought his lips to hers once more.

She didn't have a clue how long they had been there before Koga finally broke away. Nobara's head was spinning, she was so overwhelmed by emotion. For a first kiss, she couldn't have imagined it any other way. He didn't move an inch, though, and merely picked his head up so that he could pull her closer into his chest.

"Where have you been?" Koga murmured, his voice aching with sorrow.

"My memory had been wiped," Nobara explained, nuzzling her head into his chest.

He kept his arms wrapped tightly around her, as if he was afraid she was going to poof right out of his grasp.

"I'm never letting you out of my sight again. I lost you once. I won't make that mistake twice," Koga promised. "I swear it."

"I trust you, Koga," Nobara said, lifting her head to peck him on the cheek.

She had barely made her intentions known when she found Koga was already leaning in for another kiss. This one was softer. Less aggressive, but still as passionate. It hadn't taken him long to once again open up to Nobara.

 _Just like when we were teenagers. I was the only one he would show his softer side to._

One pressing question hung heavily on Nobara's mind, but she was hesitant to ask it, afraid of what the answer might be. As soon as she thought about it, Koga sensed she had something to say.

"What is it?"

"Where is Raiden?" Nobara asked quietly.

Koga was silent for a moment, which only confirmed her fears.

"Dead. My father was killed by those damn Birds of Paradise," he snarled.

Nobara's brow furrowed. "Birds of Paradise? What kind of creature are those?"

"Giant bird demon hybrids that have a human torso sticking out of their feather-brained heads," Koga said with disgust. "They've been slaughtering us for months."

Nobara's snarl echoed his frustration. "Show me to their nest. I'll torch the bastards."

Koga raised a brow at her. "How?"

It took Nobara a moment to realize that Koga wasn't aware of her dragon powers. She hadn't known about them during her time with the wolf demon tribe.

"Like this."

Moving backwards so that she was away from the ledge, Nobara took a deep breath. Koga eyed her with confusion. She stomped on the rock, and her right foot erupted in flames. Koga's jaw dropped as he watched her transform into a scaly, golden dragon. Her claws and underbelly were black, while her horns and tail tip were dark red.

"What the hell?" Koga muttered.

His three wolves whined and tucked their tails between their legs as they hid behind their leader. Nobara let out a hefty snort, smoke drifting from her nostrils.

 _"Its alright, Koga. I'm still me,"_ she said, but her maw never moved.

Koga shook his head, staring at her with bewilderment. "How are you doing that?" he grunted, unsure of what to make of these other powers she had.

 _"Telepathy. I can speak to you with my mind,_ or with my voice, if I choose," she growled, her jaw parting mid-sentence as she spoke.

The male wolf-demon exhaled loudly, uncertain of what to think of her reptilian form. "I don't get it. I thought you were a regular wolf demon," he said warily.

"So did I," Nobara echoed. "But I'm not." She stepped forward, shifting back into her human form as she approached Koga once more.

"I'm a wolf-dragon demon," she explained. "And as far as I know, the last of my kind. I've never met anyone else like me, besides my parents."

Koga remained silent for a moment. He remembered the day his father brought Nobara to their tribe as if it were yesterday. She'd been a total wreck, sobbing uncontrollably for days, but for whatever reason, she had found comfort in his company. He would've been damned to turn her away back then, and he had no intention of doing it now.

"What else can you do?" he asked curiously, folding his arms across his chest.

With a smirk, Nobara extended her right palm in front of her, and within seconds, a small burst of flame appeared in the center of her hand. Koga raised a brow, a mildly surprised expression on his face.

"That's just the beginning," she beamed.

"Not bad," he commented, casting her a crooked grin. "What do you say we put these powers of yours to use?"

Nobara smirked. "What did you have in mind?"


	5. Part 4

Instead of returning to the den of the wolf demon tribe, Koga and Nobara sent the dark brown she-wolf, Chūsei, to retrieve more of their packmates. While she was away, Nobara transformed into dragon form so she could search for Inuyasha and the others, and Koga devised a plan to set a trap. Once everything was in place, Nobara met up with Koga and Chūsei at the riverbank below the ledge of the mountain path.

Returning to human form, Nobara cast Koga a confused glance. "Remind me why we're doing this again? We don't exactly need Kagome to attack the Birds of Paradise nest."

Koga raised a brow at her. "The Birds of Paradise aren't the only ones with a shard. With her ability, we can gather all the shards in this region."

"If you insist," Nobara said with a shrug. "You know where I'll be if you need me."

With that, the wolf-dragon shifted into canine form and turned, loping away down the riverbank. Nobara shook her head, letting out a snort. Try as she might, the wolf-dragon couldn't help but feel a sense of jealousy towards Kagome. The girl had one ability that Nobara didn't, and yet it was the single most important power of them all.

The amber wolf leapt up onto a rock with a grunt, and as soon as she went to jump across the river, reptilian-dragon wings sprouted from her shoulder blades in a burst of golden fire. With a downward thrust of her wings, Nobara pulled herself straight up into the air. The more she beat her wings, the faster she flew, until the wind around her was whistling with the force of her speed.

Once satisfied, Nobara's wings snapped straight out and she glided through the air. The winged-wolf looked down, still able to see the mountain trail between the thin vaporous clouds. She could see Chūsei and her half of the pack waiting on the mountaintop and began her descent towards them. Nobara had agreed to let the wolves do their part while she kept an eye out for any Birds of Paradise that could threaten to interrupt Koga's plan.

Moments after she landed at the top of the cliff, Nobara heard an angry voice from down below.

"Oh, so I'm your faithful terrier all of a sudden – wondering if I've sniffed out a scent or heard something with my little doggy ears? Damn, you guys piss me off – every single one of you!"

The wolf let out a quiet chuff as she laughed to herself. _Who pissed off Inuyasha this time?_ Her question was answered a second later when she heard Miroku groan loudly.

"Ugh! Relax. I'm simply asking if you sense another presence in the air like we do."

Nobara stiffened and cast a glance at Chūsei. The brown she-wolf had crouched down against the rock and was looking back at Nobara with anticipation. The wolf-dragon gave a nod of approval, and Chūsei bounded forward with seven of her packmates on her heels. Nobara waited a moment. When she heard a shout of surprise from Inuyasha, she stepped forward to look over the edge.

Four of the wolves had successfully tackled Inuyasha off the ledge and were in a free-fall towards the river. Nobara cringed as Chūsei received a hard kick in the ribs from Sango, and again as the other three were smacked to the side by Miroku. A cloud of dusting being kicked up from the riverbank was Nobara's signal.

Extended her wings out, Nobara snapped them forward as she pushed her paws from the rocky ledge. Koga's voice called out yet another insult at Inuyasha as he ran straight up the mountainside.

"See you later, mutt-face."

Nobara remained observant in the sky as she watched Kagome run to the ledge and call out, "Inuyasha!" She had barely finished saying his name when she was pushed back by a whirlwind. As soon as Koga's feet touched the rocky path, he whirled around and scooped up Kagome in his right arm, causing her and Shippo to let out a shriek.

"Now she's mine!" Koga called out.

"Kagome!" Miroku made a move towards the wolf demon, but Chūsei lunged towards his chest, forcing him to halt in his tracks and fend her off with his staff. "No! Kagome!" Miroku shouted as Koga started running away.

Nobara hovered overhead, watching as Koga started running towards the edge of the cliff. The river was at least 100 feet below them, and the chasm was wide enough that a normal wolf demon would've never been able to make the jump.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Kagome cried out in fear as Koga approached the ledge.

"This cliff is nothing to me. I got sacred jewel shards in my legs," Koga replied with pure overconfidence.

With a roll of her eyes, Nobara dove down from the sky, transforming into a dragon mid-freefall. Kagome and Shippo were screaming at the tops of their lungs when Koga's feet pushed off the rocky ledge. The wolf-demon twisted midair so that he was now facing the river instead of the sheer cliffside, and Kagome let out a terrified shriek.

"We're gonna fall! Somebody help me!"

"Will you shut up and stop screaming?!" Koga shouted.

Kagome's screams suddenly silenced as the trio landed on a reptilian back and were lifted into the air. Nobara turned her dragoness head to look over her shoulder and smirked at the shocked expressions on Kagome and Shippo's face.

"Hey guys," the wolf-dragon rumbled.

"Right on time," Koga remarked with a sly grin.

"Nobara! What's going on here?" Kagome exclaimed with annoyance.

A puff of smoke came from the dragon's nose as she exhaled loudly. "What does it look like? We're kidnapping you," Nobara said casually.

Kagome shoved herself away from Koga, proceeding to sit down on Nobara's back and cross her arms across her chest. "You two got a lot of nerve, kidnapping me like this. What do you want? What are you up to?" she demanded.

Neither of them answered as a shadowy figure passed through the clouds in front of them. Nobara outstretched her wings and slowed down, sending out a warning snarl. She couldn't stop, otherwise Kagome or Koga would fall off. Another figure passed overhead, casting its shadow down onto Nobara's back.

Kagome gasped. "You see that? Was that a bird? Tell me that was just a really big bird."

No response.

Kagome's head started whipping around in a panic. "Come on, say something. You two are freaking me out!"

A high-pitched shriek broke the silence hanging in the air as a winged demon burst through the clouds. Its giant mouth seemed to take up most of its main body, aside from the blue humanlike torso sticking out from the top of its head, and its intimidating appearance was only emphasized by its large beady eyes and the outstretched raptor claws on its three-pronged feet. Nobara bared her teeth at the demon with an aggressive roar, snapping her jaws at it.

"They're not canaries, I can tell you that much," Koga said sarcastically.

"You don't say," Nobara shot back.

It wasn't just a single demon that appeared in the sky. Within seconds, an entire flock gathered around Nobara. The dragon gave a warning snarl to any that came too close, but the bird demons were much more fearless than she gave them credit for.

Koga reached over and grabbed Kagome's arm. "Can you see if any of them have a jewel shard?"

She cast him a quizzical look. "Huh?"

"I know you have the power to see jewel shards. Do these demon birds have any?" he asked again, more forcibly this time.

Nobara turned her head towards them, awaiting an answer as well. Kagome quickly looked around, trying to keep the panic in her stomach from overwhelming her.

"No, I don't think so. I don't see any," she said.

"Fine. Then we've got no use for them," Nobara remarked, folding her wings against her side. "Hang on guys!"

Her passengers only had a second to grab hold before the dragon dove down below the swarming flock. They covered the entire sky by now, so the only way of escape was to go under them. Unknown to any of them, the presence of Koga's Sacred Jewel shards gave Nobara a boost of power, and she was able to fly much faster than normal. The golden dragon leveled out along the mountain path, and the flock started disappearing in the distance behind them.

"See ya, buzzard brains. We're outta here!" Koga yelled over his shoulder.


End file.
